Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Bob Brown excelled on the diamond and the gridiron during his teen years, even playing college football for the fabled Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 1890s. From 1900 to 1909, he played professional baseball in Montana, Oregon and Washington, where he led the Spokane Indians to a Pacific Coast League pennant in 1908.
In 1910, Brown moved to Vancouver to become the owner/playing manager of the Vancouver Beavers. Under his reign with the Beavers, his club captured three pennants (1911, 1914, 1922). The respected baseball man also initiated the building of Capilano Stadium and became vice-president and general manager of the Capilanos club. Brown organized the first game played in Canada under lights and also served as the president of the Western International League from 1938 to 1953.
For his dedication to the diamond, Brown earned the nickname as Vancouver’s Mr Baseball. In all, the adopted Canadian was involved in baseball for more than 60 years and was rewarded by being named the first member of Vancouver Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966.
